


Stuck

by basslined



Series: SASO 2016 [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), M/M, demon!noya, sleep paralysis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-08-14 01:06:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7992976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basslined/pseuds/basslined
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He’d told Taketora over dinner the next weekend and had been met with stifled laughter and disbelief. “There’s no way you’ve got a ghost, dude. That sorta shit only happens in horror movies,” he’d said. When he’d replied with “then I guess my life is a fuckin’ horror film,” Tora had just laughed again and bought him another drink. Helpful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stuck

**Author's Note:**

> A revamped fill for SASO's myth/folklore bonus round. I'd written the initial fill last minute and didn't get a chance to flesh it out as much as I'd wanted to, so I've rectified this now for posting! This might become a two-parter, but for now, it's just a stand-alone. We'll see. 
> 
> Big thanks to Yuki for all of her concrit with regards to helping me fix the pacing and fill in some plot holes, as well as to Emi for helping me choose an ending out of the five thousand I'd had in the beginning and Niv for reading over, too. I owe you guys my life, as per usual. Much love. <3

When he was younger, it happened a lot. Saeko had always joked that he must’ve pissed off some angry spirit by getting bad grades and picking fights after school and that this was its way of punishing him. He always told her to get bent and she’d lightly whack him one for being rude. He’d never tell her, but it secretly scared him enough to keep his act straight, just a little more than usual.

However, as he got older, the sleep paralysis happened less and less until one day it finally just ended altogether. A small victory, he supposed, one that he was infinitely grateful for.

...At least until he’d moved into a new apartment in Tokyo after transferring for his new job, anyway. Tora had suggested the neighborhood (close to the station, even closer to him) and the rent was so cheap that he couldn’t pass it up. It was a little run down, but nothing new paint and a few posters couldn't fix.

His second month in, he’d awoken suddenly in the middle of the night to that familiar, crushing pressure heavy on his limbs. All he could manage to do was lay there and try his best to breathe, squeezing his eyes shut every time he thought he heard scraping and rustling in the corner of the room or footsteps running along the floorboards above his head - an impossibility considering he lived on the top floor.  

Every so often, he’d swear that he felt another presence, too. The sensation of small, yet sturdy hands running their way up his arms and across his shoulders or the light touch of fingertips brushing sweat from his forehead were the most common occurrence. Other times he’d feel breath against his lips or hear whispering and snickering next to his ear, a distorted attempt at conversation that he couldn't make out clearly enough to respond to.

It was fucking unsettling, yet at the same time, strangely familiar? It was hard to explain, but feeling both threatened and comforted at once was nothing short of confusing and uncomfortable, like two forces were at play and he was powerless to do anything about it.

He’d told Taketora over dinner the next weekend and had been met with stifled laughter and disbelief. _“There’s no way you’ve got a ghost, dude. That sorta shit only happens in horror movies,”_ he’d said. When he’d replied with “then I guess my life is a fuckin’ horror film,” Tora had just laughed again and bought him another drink. Helpful.

And now here he is, for the third time in a week, awakening in the middle of the night to the crippling sensation of being trapped where he lay. This time he at least has the ability to move his head slightly, as limited as even that movement is (it’s better than only being able to look around and mumble loudly against slightly parted lips, though, so he’ll take it).

However, when he finally opens his eyes, he’s met face-to-face with something he’d never expected: _another fucking person_. He’s smaller, probably by nearly half a foot in height if he’s gauging it right and is sitting on his chest with his legs extended over Tanaka’s shoulders, watching him carefully - fondly, even.

“Wh-what the _fuck!_ ” Tanaka tries to scream, but it doesn’t come out as more than a raspy whisper.

The figure on top of him goes wide-eyed for a split second before his expression settles into what can only be described as pure fascination. “You can see me this time! I’m surprised!”

“Who are you?! How the fuck did you get into my apartment?!”

The small form sits back, pointing toward himself and grinning wide. “The name’s Nishinoya Yuu, Incubus-in-Training! It’s not that hard to get into places like this. I mean, for someone like me. _Anyway_ , I’ve been watchin’ you for a while now, Ryuu. You’re pretty interesting.”

Tanaka’s head is spinning. Weren’t incubi like...demons or something? What the fuck. Was this dude for real? He didn’t even _look_ like a demon. “You’re tellin’ me I’m ‘sposed to believe that? Where are your horns ‘n shit? If you don’t get outta here, I’m seriously callin’ the police.”

“ _Oh?_ And how’re you gonna do that? You can’t move, right? Other than your head.” Tanaka freezes. How did this guy know? Maybe it'd be okay to humor him on the whole ‘incubus’ thing after all, give him the benefit of the doubt. At least until he gets some answers, anyway.

“How’d you…”

“There’s another spirit in your apartment, y’know. It’s kinda strong, too. It’s no wonder you keep getting stuck like this. I’m actually surprised you can even move at all!”

“Okay, seriously, what the hell,” he grinds out; that was _way_ too accurate to be a guess or some sort of coincidence. Nishinoya just laughs.

“I know, it sounds totally unbelievable, but you’ve gotta _trust_ me.”

“You’re tellin’ me to trust a...demon?” The word is almost foreign on his tongue; it feels weird to say it seriously. “Isn’t that asking a lot?”

“It sounds like you’re stereotyping me, Ryuu,” Nishinoya says in a tone feigning hurt, placing a hand over where Tanaka figures his heart _might_ be, if he has one; he has no idea if incubi have the same biology as humans and right now, he doesn’t really care. “Whether you wanna believe it or not, we’re not all bad. I’m here to help you!”

“You’ve got like, thirty seconds to explain, dude.”

“That’s like nothing!!”

“Twenty-six…”

“Ryuu!!”

“Twenty-three…”

“Fine!! Like I said, there’s a really powerful spirit in your place that’s causin’ your sleep paralysis. As part of my trainin’, I’m here to help you figure out how to break free from it. That way, whenever it happens, you’ll be all set and it’ll get bored and move on.”

There’s a strange feeling of relief washing over him hearing that. He’d finally be rid of this once and for all? There’s gotta be a catch.

“There are rules, though,” Nishinoya says with a shrug, not skipping a beat. Ah. There it is.

“Like what?”

“Liiiike, I can’t tell you exactly how to break the curse and I can only give you real vague hints to direct you. So, basically, you’re gonna have to figure it out on your own.”

“Then how exactly does that help me?”

“I guess it doesn’t,” he leans forward, amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips when Tanaka frowns. “But I know you can do it. You have before, right?”

“You can’t give me _anything_ else to work with?”

“The memories are trapped in there somewhere!” Nishinoya says, tapping Tanaka lightly on the forehead as he does.

Tanaka squints at him as he thinks about it. How _did_ he break it as a kid? It was so long ago that he’s not sure. The only immediate memory he can recall is being terrified and squeezing his eyes shut until he woke up the next morning, not even realizing he’d fallen back asleep - it’s how he’d dealt with it since moving into his new place, too.

Tanaka growls in frustration. “This is impossible, man.”

“It’s not, you just gotta find that determination buried in you. We both know if you set your mind to it, you’ll get it.”

“You’ve got a lot of faith in me, Noya.” Nishinoya just smiles back at him, wide enough that Tanaka can see the unnaturally sharp points of his canines.

“Of course I do, you’re awesome. I’ve seen you do some really amazin’ shit over the years, Ryuu!!”

“You’ve been following me around for that long?” Tanaka’s honestly shocked, but also a little bit suspicious, truthfully.

“Yeah. Almost fifteen years, can you believe it? We’ve practically grown up together, dude!” he says, smacking Tanaka on the chest. He’s stronger than he looks and the force nearly makes his eyes water. Nishinoya’s words finally sink in and Tanaka’s shock and suspicion only grow.

“Fifteen years?!” Nishinoya simply nods, still grinning. “Y’know, I've been dealing with this for almost that long, thinkin’ about it. How do I know it's not _you_ who's been causing it?”

Nishinoya’s features instantly twist into a frown as he leans in close enough that Tanaka can feel the huffed exhale of breath from his nose warm against his own.

“I already told ya!! I’ve always just been trying to help! You’ve just never been able to see me before now!!” He almost sounds hurt, Tanaka notices, and he feels a little guilty for accusing him. “When you're in this state, you're real susceptible to bad spirits takin’ advantage of that and any sorta thing can happen: sickness, injuries, possessions...so that's why I watch you. ‘Cause I can keep you safe. I’m like...your guardian spirit!”

“Don't angels usually do that kinda stuff?” Despite what he says, Tanaka can’t help but think back to all the whispers and light touches, briefly wondering if they were Nishinoya trying to comfort him and keep him out of harm’s way. He feels a warm flutter in his chest as he considers it.

“Y’know, us demons were angels once too, Ryuu. Like I said, we’re not all bad, weren't you listenin’ to me at all?”

“Sorry...I didn't mean to offend you. It’s just - this whole thing is weird,” he sighs and Nishinoya nods, seemingly over it already. Tanaka clears his throat before continuing. “Can I like...ask you questions to get to the answer, then?”

Nishinoya perks up, drumming his fingers lightly against his chin. “Depends!” Tanaka makes a face that says _‘for the love of_ whatever _, no more vague explanations_ ’ and Nishinoya bites back a snicker. “The easy, short answer is yes.”

“Okay, well, the obvious question: if you've been around for this long, how come I’ve never been able to see you before now?”

Nishinoya’s expression softens back to the initial fondness he caught him with earlier, then flashes to what Tanaka _thinks_ may have been sadness, but it's gone and replaced with a lopsided smile in an instant. He doesn't have much time to contemplate it. “You have! Not for a long time, though. You remember your ‘imaginary friend,’ right?”

“Wait, you mean that was you?! I mean, it was real?!”

“Yup! Totally not imaginary.” He wiggles in place. “Clearly.”

Tanaka winces at the shifting weight against his chest before frowning. “But Saeko said that all kids go through that phase, that I just had to grow out of it. I stopped seein’ you, so I thought she was right.”

“Well, yes and no. Most kids get assigned _somebody,_  we all come outta the same pool initially, y’know? But after we complete our first assignment, usually you won't see us anymore unless you've got a really keen spiritual sense. It’s pretty rare, though.”

“What was your first assignment?”

“Placement! We decide our path.” Tanaka’s brow furrows as he tries to understand, which Nishinoya seems to pick up on easily. “Some of us decide to become demons, some of us choose to become holy. S’what I meant when I said we were all angels once, ‘cause _technically_ we were!”

“Since you were all the same initially…” Tanaka chimes in and the smaller man nods. “So...then how come you chose this path?”

“I thought it'd be more interesting,” he answers matter-of-factly. “Plus, I get to do fun stuff this way _and_ I get to spend more time in the Human Realm, with you! So, y’know, it's a win-win, really.”

Tanaka can feel his cheeks heat up and he hopes Nishinoya can't see. He coughs awkwardly, trying to will the flush away and chooses not to explore that comment further. Maybe another time.

“Fair enough.” He takes the opportunity to really study Nishinoya’s face, then, briefly making eye contact. His eyes are red, Tanaka realizes now that he’s well-adjusted to the darkness around them. He lets his gaze drop to the sharp points of his teeth again, too. Maybe he wasn't fucking with him after all; upon closer inspection, he kinda _did_ look the part - halfway, at least.

Nishinoya quirks an eyebrow when he notices Tanaka staring, so he clears his throat as a distraction. “Okay, uh, if that's the case then did you help me figure out the sleep paralysis thing the last time, too? Since it stopped after a while...and you said it yourself, right? I’ve figured it out before.”

Nishinoya claps him excitedly on the shoulder. “Good observation, Ryuu!! A correct one, too.”

Tanaka leans his head back against the pillow, staring at the ceiling. “I still don't remember what you told me, though.”

“I can't help with that. I would if I could, though. It's hard to watch you like this - always has been. It was worse when you couldn't see me anymore, though. ‘Cause you always looked so scared and even though it was like that when you were younger, too, at least then you knew I was here and you weren't alone.”

He leans forward slightly to wick the sweat from Tanaka’s forehead with the bottom of his sleeve and he notices the sharp, claw-like edges of Nishinoya’s nails when he retracts his arm. “You don't know how happy I was when you started swearin’ at me!”

Tanaka smiles despite himself and Nishinoya inhales sharply, as if he were expecting something. A little peculiar.

“Sorry. It’s just...listen, y’don’t really expect to wake up and be greeted with another person, one that you think is a stranger.” Nishinoya opens his mouth like he's about to correct him, but Tanaka doesn’t give him the opportunity. “ _Demon._ With a demon.”

The smaller man looks satisfied. “It wasn't as bad of a reaction as it could’ve been. I don't take offense, really.”

They sit in silence for a bit as Tanaka tries to concentrate. He’s still drawing a blank. He remembers his imaginary friend (to a point), but he doesn't remember what he did to break the curse. “Well, last question then, I guess. What happens if you _do_ tell me how to fix this?”

“Then I lose my chances at certification, don't get my horns and I hafta be _boring_ for the rest of my life. Do you know how long that is? _Too long_. I’m like, almost immortal!”

Tanaka can’t help but laugh (well, the closest thing to a laugh he can manage in this state, anyway) and Nishinoya’s eyes practically sparkle. He can feel him vibrate excitedly on top of him as he bites his lip.

“What is it?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow. It doesn’t take him that long to realize it, though. The air suddenly feels a million times lighter and when he goes to wiggle his fingers, he does so with ease. He sits up abruptly and Nishinoya tumbles backward, settling himself into Tanaka’s lap instead. “Holy shit! I did it?!”

He’s beaming when he looks back at him, seemingly unfazed by their new arrangement. “See!! I told you!!”

“Laughter?”

“Mmhmm!” he claps his hands together once excitedly. “You can’t be scared if you’re laughin’, right?”

“That’s true.” Nishinoya climbs off of him then, smile still plastered across his face and Tanaka can't help but return it as he watches him cross the room.

“Hey, Ryuu?” Nishinoya calls back, standing at the window. “Can I still come visit?”

“Yeah. Anytime,” he replies hastily. “I mean, if you wanna, I’d be okay with it. I, uh, guess I owe you a favor or something. As thanks.”

“Maybe you can help me with my next assignment then,” he says with a wink and Tanaka’s face heats up as soon as he remembers the other’s future occupation (could he even call it that?) and puts two-and-two together.

Nishinoya’s amused cackling rings through the air as Tanaka throws a pillow in his direction. It hits the window pane with a soft thump, never managing to connect with its target: the new addition to his life is gone and the room is quiet once again.

Tanaka flops back down against the mattress, small grin tugging against the corners of his lips. “See ya soon, Noya…”

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on tumblr (mokuba) and twitter (@mokubah)! \\(*^o^*)/


End file.
